Everybody Talks
by MiniBandit
Summary: When Shizuo went to sleep last night, he was damn sure that he still worked for Tom, that Shinra and Celty were inseparable, and that he hated Izaya Orihara. So what the hell happened? [Shizaya. Drrr! Kink meme]
1. Chapter 1

**Everybody Talks**

 **Summary:** When Shizuo went to sleep last night, he was damn sure that he still worked for Tom, that Shinra and Celty were inseparable, and that he hated Izaya Orihara.

So what the hell happened?

 **Prompt:** When Shizuo went to sleep last night, he was pretty sure it was . He worked under Tom, Celty was missing her head, Shinra cut people open for living and he hated Izaya Orihara with passion. When he woke up the next morning, it was nine months later. He now worked for some obscure underground government agency, a lot of new gangs had sprouted out playing hockey with Celty's head with Celty in the middle screaming her non-attached head off, Shinra had become emo because Celty chose her head over him, and most surreal of all, he was best friends with Izaya Orihara! What the hell happened in these nine months?

 **Note:** This is cross posted on the Drrr! Kink meme as well. Really unsure of just how long this is going to end up being, so buckle in folks. ＼(;ﾟ∇ﾟ)/

*Edited the year to correspond more appropriately with the timeline in Durarara~ From what I can pick out, the Saika arc seems mostly in 2004 while the yellow scarves arc moves through 2005.*

* * *

 **Chapter one:**

 **"It started with a whisper."**

On normal days Shizuo would never choose to wake up before the sun rose, but even before he opened his eyes it was clear that this was no ordinary morning. Sure, the shadows of his bedroom didn't appear to show anything out of place. Yeah, he seemed to be safety tucked into bed. Even the cool touch of Celty's leather clad hands on his arm didn't strike him immediately as unusual; she was his best friend after all, a safe presence.

But damn, his head was hurting something awful.

"What the fuck…" His eyes flickered open and every inch of muscle in his body tensed, the harshness of his own whisper unsettling him. Reaching up with icy fingers, he tried to massage his throat. It felt like he was talking around sandpaper.

Celty's reassuring grip on his arm tightened the slightest bit in response. **[Shizuo! Thank god- I mean, I wasn't sure. . . Try not to move, ok? I already texted Shinra, so he should be here soon don't worry. The snowstorm is slowing him down is all. . .]**

Shizuo frowned at her, far from understanding what could possibly have his friend so worked up. And what did she mean by snow? It was the middle of the Spring for god's sake. He just went out yesterday to see cherry blossoms with Tom and Vorona. She must be delirious or something.

Something was definitely off. All of Celty's movements were jerky and anxious, like a frightened cat. Was she hurt? Is that why she texted Shinra? Then why was she at his apartment in the first place?

"Damn this hurts like a bitch... Celty why- What's wron-?" He cursed to himself as warm liquid dripped into his eye, only adding to his growing irritation. What the fuck was going on? If that damned louse had anything to do with this, whatever this was, he was going to snap his bean pole body in half.

There was a harsh tug in his chest at the thought of the flea, now aching far worse than his head. It wasn't a problem, however, the ache lessened after he growled out numerous lines of, "Kill kill kill." Hatred was what he felt for that despicable flea, and that was it.

Celty was waving her hands in frantic motions, urging him in her silent way to relax.

Shizuo's frown remained, but his body did indeed relax. Even the slightest mention of Izaya was enough to make him rage these days. Luckily everyone seemed to sense this and were smart enough to stray from the subject. So without mention of him, the urge to chase Izaya down and pummel him hadn't occurred to him for a while, but that probably had something to do with the fact that he had been avoiding the flea lately… Ever since he-

Fuck, this was definitely not the time for that train of thought. This was about Celty.

Shizuo squeezed his eyes shut, a low growl leaving his lips. This was Celty, one of his truest friends. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with hurting her. Shizuo's worried gaze darted over Celty's dark form, scrutinizing her for any injury that would make texting Shinra for help necessary.

Tendrils of smoke billowed up into the air above her neck, gloomy and reminding Shizuo of storm clouds. Celty touched his arm with dainty fingers and held out her phone again, **[No, no don't speak. I know you are stronger than most, but right now you shouldn't exert yourself.]**

Shizuo started to shake his head, only to be met with excruciating pain and a rush of sticky liquid flowing down the side of his face.

What the fuck was going on?

 **[Shizuo! Oh god, oh god, don't move! Ok? Let me. . . I'll. . . I'll go get some towels to hold back the blood!]** The relentless shaking in Celty's hands was making it difficult for Shizuo to read the text. He couldn't even gasp out a reply before she was up and out of the room, the storm brewing above her neck trailing along after her.

The ache in his head was growing worse by the minute, severely limiting his movements. If he could have punched something, he would have; just to relieve some of the tension and rage that was spilling through his veins.

If that louse had anything to do with this…

It was becoming clearer that he must be the one injured, and every goddamn atom of his being wanted to place the blame for his predicament on a certain pesky informant. That informant was like a curse, and it really seemed like there was no remedy. Honestly, all Shizuo wanted was to live a quiet, normal life but that louse seemed absolutely determined to stomp down any of his hopes, likely laughing as he did so.

Shizuo was seeing red.

He winced, realizing that he was _literally_ seeing red. The liquid that was making a path down his forehead was blood, his blood.

Suddenly too stunned for his rage to fester, Shizuo simply reached out to his nightstand for his phone. Slowly yet deliberately he tapped on the bright screen, activating its flashlight. He grimaced from the onslaught of light and began to shine it down over himself. In the dark of his room, he had been unable to make out the spatters of blood that were surrounding him on either side. White hot pain was being shot down the side of his head with every movement he made, but he needed to see the damage.

In the next few moments, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

He had been about to tap on the camera function so he could see for himself just how bad his injuries were, but something unusual caught his eye. Something that was impossible, far too impossible to be believable. Something that he was fucking certain was the sick game of a certain flea. Something that would make him immediately drop the phone and release a raging battle cry, "IZAAAAAYAAAAA!"

Because somehow, even though Shizuo knew with all the certainty in the world that it was early in April of 2005, the phone read,

'January 1st, 2006.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

 **"All you're givin me is friction."**

" _Hey Shizu-chan."_

 _Shizuo averted his gaze from the television to peer at Izaya. "What, flea?" He spoke around the noodles in his mouth before swallowing and repeating himself quietly._

 _The dark clad man sitting across from him appeared almost sheepish; his fingers briefly tightening on his cup of tea. The look was gone so fast that Shizuo felt he must have imagined it, replaced instead with a carefree grin and a laugh. "Don't forget to chew your food, ne Shizu-chan? Wouldn't want to choke to death seconds before New Year's. How tragic. I would have no one to celebrate with."_

 _He rolled his eyes and tossed a noodle across the small table, hitting its target between the eyes. "Ah shut it. The countdown is starting."_

" _I just said that, weren't you listening, eh?" Izaya sat up straighter, eyes roaming towards the figure splayed out on Shizuo's couch. His lips quirked up as he said, "Heh, looks like she is going to miss it after all."_

" _Don't wake her," Shizuo murmured, counting down to midnight in his head. "She needs the sleep."_

" _Well that's no fun at all. It's her first New Years, we must celebrate-! Don't look at me in that tone of voice."_

 _Midnight was announced with joyous enthusiasm over the television, its bright glow illuminating Shizuo's darkened apartment. Somewhere in the distance, a single bell could be heard. Shizuo turned away from the screen just in time to see Izaya look away from him. He raised an eyebrow, wondering why the flea hadn't been watching the countdown._

 _He reached over to punch his shoulder. "Happy New Year's… Izaya."_

" _That was a horrible New Year's present, Shizu-chan," Izaya whined, rubbing his aching shoulder._

 _-.-.-.-.-.-_

With an all-consuming, numbing rage fueling his weakened body, Shizuo launched to his feet; intent on discovering just how far he could shove his foot up Izaya's ass. Clenched fists barreled towards his bedroom door, but froze mere inches from the wood. The squeak of worn out hinges had caught his attention. Expecting Celty to come drifting in and scold him for being out of bed, Shizuo planted his feet where he stood. She wasn't going to talk him out of this one.

Shizuo raised an eyebrow when she didn't walk through the now open door. He took a curious step forward and spoke up, "Uh, Celty?"

"IZAAAAYAAAAAA~!" A joyous cry that rivaled Shizuo's in volume erupted from directly in front of him, sending him stumbling backwards. Eyes wide and heart hammering, Shizuo dropped his gaze down. Hiding just behind the door stood a little girl; little being the key word.

He could only blink as the speck of a girl threw her hands up and sang out, "IZAAAYAAA~!"

"Why are you..?" Shizuo began, incredulous. "Are you copying me?"

Her dark eyes sparkled with absolute delight as she said, "Are you copyin' me?" Laughter spilled out after the words left her, bubbly and carefree.

His shock at seeing, and hearing, a young girl laughing it up and having a grand ol' time in his doorway was enough to stifle the all-encompassing anger from moments ago; much like throwing cold water on hot flames.

Pixie like features, partially hidden behind a mass of dark waves and an enormous wool cap, were pulled up into the sweetest of smiles. Every second that the toddler continued to smile up at Shizuo pushed him towards a whole new realm of confusion. She looked like she just came inside, too. Flakes of snow were still peppering her hair and matching coat. Said coat was really bugging him; the shear amount of fluff was nightmarish.

Shizuo stomped down the thought that this kid's eclectic fashion sense reminded him of the flea.

"...What the fuck?" He groaned out, putting a hand against his aching head. Blood was coating his palm, sticky and unpleasant.

The kid in front of him blinked and started to kick her little yellow sneakers against the carpet. "What the fuck?" She squeaked out, sounding very much like a mouse.

So she was copying him. Shizuo's lip twitched, unsure whether to be amused or bewildered.

"Hmph." Shaking his head slowly, Shizuo wished that any part of this morning would make sense. Damn it, he had just woken up and already he was fed up with the day.

Fucking flea. This was probably all his doing.

"Who the hell- Er, Who are you, anyway, kid?" He asked as gently as he could.

When he got no response he took a step to the side, trying to peer past her into the apartment. Now that he was paying attention, he swore that he could hear more people talking- arguing actually. He wiped blood away from his eyes before turning his attention down to the… toddler that had grown silent as a grave. Dark eyes wide with fright and shimmering with tears were staring at Shizuo's blood soaked hand.

Shit, he must have scared her.

"Hey, kiddo, how about you tell me your name?" Shizuo made a conscious effort to speak softer, but his pain was showing in his voice. It was beginning to get harder to concentrate, but he didn't want the kid to be scared of him. He was not the monster or beast that so many proclaimed him to be.

"How about it?" He kneeled down in front of her, smiling. "I'm Shizuo, what's your name?"

Her eyes watched horror stricken, as blood dripped with ease from Shizuo's fingers.

Tears spilled down onto pink cheeks as she let out a distraught scream. Shizuo cursed himself and jumped up to go get Celty but a wave of dizziness struck him, effectively introducing his face to the carpet.

Red and black spots filled his vision.

He let out another string of curses and tried to right himself, pausing on his knees when several figures stormed into the room. With his vision momentarily obscured all he could do was listen as a familiar voice cooed soothing words to the hysterical girl.

Gloved hands, thick from heavy wool, pressed against Shizuo's cheek. "Shizuo? Hey, we need to get you back into bed! You're recreating a horror flick on your bedroom floor. Seriously, Celty, look at all this blood! It's a good thing you texted me, my dear."

"Shinra," Shizuo sighed, relieved, and accepted the hands guiding him to his feet. "Can't you see the kid is pissed off enough without you chatting her up about blood and creepy shit? Just patch me up already."

Shinra merely laughed and pushed him towards the bed, "Oh, she'll live! You on the other hand~"

Shizuo blinked away the spots in his vision as he stumbled back into bed, the cool tendrils of Celty's smoke guiding him far more gently than Shinra had been. Around Shinra's chatting he could hear footsteps leaving the room, the toddler's whimpers following them out. Ruling out Shinra and Celty, who were obviously preoccupied with him, Shizuo assumed one of her parents had taken her out of the room.

"So how did you get shot, anyway?"

He could only stare as Shinra dropped down next to him, too surprised by the information to respond properly.

"You don't remember? Interesting~ Celty mentioned that she found you unconscious in bed. The bullet must have just torn against your skull. " Shinra mused, already examining the wound on his head. Shizuo could only grunt before expert fingers were poking and prodding at his head, earning a sharp hiss in protest. "It's deeper than a graze, that's for sure. Certainly not a penetrating shot. Too bad, I would have loved to try brain surgery on you."

He would have chastised his friend for having too much fun at his expense, but somehow Shinra sounded considerably less chipper than usual. There was a low undertone to his voice that hadn't been there before.

"It didn't… Nick anything important, did it?" Shizuo asked, eyeing Shinra.

"Well, it doesn't seem to have penetrated your skull, like I said. The skull itself could be fractured, though." Shinra accepted a spare towel from Celty, who was attempting to wipe some of the blood off of Shizuo's face and neck. The young doctor dipped his head down to smile at her, but his attempts at being noticed fell short.

Shinra waved him off when he raised an eyebrow at him. "You obviously lost a lot of blood… That's my main concern right now. Just… lemme get these stitches in, and then I'll pump you full of some fresh blood and nutrients! Fun, right? Well, more fun than being shot."

"It was that damn flea." Shizuo growled out. "Another one of his fucked up schemes I'm sure. Freak even messed with my phone. See?" He dropped his cell phone off into Celty's hands the moment she sat on the bed beside him.

She stared at him for several moments before turning her smokey gaze down to the phone.

On his other side, Shinra's hands froze for the briefest moment, before jumping right back into his work stitching up the oozing gash in his skull. "Heh, what do you mean? Sure you guys still fight from time to time, but I thought things were looking up!"

[Shizuo, I don't think there is anything wrong with your phone. Are you sure? What do you think he messed with? I don't see anything out of the ordinary. . .] Celty held up her phone, shoulders tensed.

"That ingrate is up to something, I know it!" He gritted his teeth, "Look… Just look at the date and try to tell me he isn't screwing with me." On the inside, he was cursing Izaya with every thought. This was why he hated him. Around every corner he was causing trouble, always dragging Shizuo into the mess. If he didn't hate him, this would hurt a hell of a lot more.

He just had to hate him.

Shinra leaned over Shizuo to join Celty, who tensed up at his nearness, in inspecting the phone. He watched them, wondering if the tension between them was only his imagination. Another oddity to tack onto this messed up day. He would put a tack in that one and ask Celty about it later.

"Uh, I don't see anything..." Shinra pursed his lips.

"What are we looking at, ne? Shizu-chan doesn't have anything worth looking at on here, I've checked."

All three of them turned to stare at Izaya. With everyone's attention preoccupied, the informant had walked into the room unnoticed. That is, until he dropped down onto the bed beside Celty and started peering at the phone. The strangest thing hit Shizuo just then, even stranger than waking up with a bullet wound and a messed up calendar. Because as fucked up and weird as those things still were, not being furious at the sight of his longtime enemy clearly topped the list. The irritating vibe he got from the informant was still the same as ever, but his body wasn't tensing up at the sight of that coat. Those eyes weren't causing him to grit his teeth.

It wasn't even anger that was making his pulse go insane.

The conflict of the century was warring inside him; on one hand his head was calling for the flea's head on a stick, but there was something else conflicting that hate. Something that warmed pleasantly from his presence. His body was reacting to the flea in ways it had never dared before, and his mind could do nothing to stop it.

This was bad. He had to hate Izaya, so he would find an excuse to do so.

Shizuo sniffed the air, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Weirder yet, the usual odor that always permeated Izaya's being was gone. Instead, it was replaced with the scent of baby powder.

Izaya lifted his head to look at Shizuo, meeting his gaze evenly. There was no fear there, no concern for his own safety. For some reason he didn't seem to even be considering the idea that Shizuo might attack him or throw him out the nearest window.

The informant tilted his head, oblivious to Shizuo's conflict, and smirked, "Eh? Do I have something on my face?"

Shizuo studied him, taking in the untidiness of his hair, the wrinkled clothing, and found his excuse. "This is all a part of your game isn't it, flea? Disguising your scent, messing up your clothes, acting all calm. Tch. It's all a trick to catch me off guard, isn't that right? So you can finish the job." He motioned towards the wound Shinra was stitching.

"No, you are too much of a fucking coward for that. You'd probably get some other poor bastard to do your dirty work." He frowned at Izaya, ignoring the stunned looks his two other companions were giving him. Briefly, he wondered why they were surprised, but he had to admit that something was different in this fight. For it was unusually hard to raise his voice against the flea.

Izaya's smirk was gone.

"Stop fighting!" A tiny voice squeaked out, choked with emotion.

Shizuo kept his gaze narrowed on Izaya while the informant twisted his body away to face the whimpering voice in the doorway. "Ah, Dora-chan..." Izaya chirped, seemingly ignoring Shizuo. "Don't worry, Shizu-chan and I are just playing. But I think I've had enough playing for one day. Why don't you go put your shoes back on, ne? I'll be right out."

Shizuo spared a glance at the child, immediately feeling his anger dip at the sight of her.

The child blinked several times and her nose scrunched up. The room was silent while she seemed to consider her options. Pink socked feet kicked at the carpet for several breathes before she let out a desperate whine and spun around to stomp out of the room. He watched her go, suspicion beginning to build his anger back up.

Once she was out of earshot, he snapped his gaze back to Izaya and growled out, "Where did you get the kid from, flea? Kidnapping. That's a new low for you, but I can't say I'm surprised." The informant lifted his head to stare at him, eyes torn apart with distain, but still he said nothing. This silent flea was really beginning to unnerve him.

[Shizuo. . . ] Celty grabbed his arm, but he ignored her. [Shizuo. . ! Listen to us for a minute. Something is clearly wrong!]

"Yeah, wrong with him!" Shizuo snapped.

Shinra chose this moment to harshly jab another stitch into Shizuo's skull, making him wince. "Izaya don't listen to him. The Talkers were most likely the ones who attacked him, we all know that." The informant scrutinized Shinra before dropping an apathetic gaze to Shizuo's neck; drops of blood were making eerie lines down. His lips tightened into a hard line.

Celty clapped her hands together, [Exactly! They have been after you for ages, Izaya! It's not surprising they went after Shizuo this time. . . ]

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Shizuo barked.

Shinra's eyes lit up, "Oh Celty you spoke to me! Well, not directly but its good enough for me!" The leather clad woman just crossed her arms, making the doctor wilt like an old flower. Regardless, there was a noticeable pep to his step now.

The bed shifted, and Shizuo turned to watch as Izaya got to his feet. With every step the man took towards the door, the more his own chest tightened.

Celty jumped to her feet right after him, making Izaya pause right at the threshold. [Izaya don't go. . . It's got to have something to do with being him shot in the head! Maybe something got hit. . . Right, Shinra?] Shizuo strained to sit forward so he could read her message as well, but it only exasperated him.

"I'm fine." He grumbled.

His protest fell on deaf ears, however. Shinra hummed, running a substance across the stitches he placed. "Yeah you can't go home yet, Izaya. I have our apartment key, so you're stuck here~" He teased, but a look from Shizuo made him flinch, "O-oh right, the shot! Well, the bullet didn't go through bone. I'd say it's more likely the fractured skull is impacting his memory in some way, perhaps other functions as well. He's not bleeding from his ears or nose, so that's a good sign. His brain is most likely bruised or swollen because of the fracture."

"You think I'm what, brain damaged?"

Shinra started pressing his fingers into Shizuo's arm as he spoke, searching for a vein. "Technically, sure. It's serious, but the skull tends to do its own healing. I'll give you some good painkillers and you'll be good to go. Just don't exert yourself, Shizuo.

[I'll keep an eye on him,] Celty turned away from Izaya to show them the message.

"There we go, team effort!"

"I don't need a babysitter." Shizuo pressed his hand against his eyes. It was a lot to take in all at once. Brain damage was never something he had ever considered a possibility for him, but maybe it just proved how human he really was.

[If I didn't watch over you, you would keep trying to fight with Izaya.] Celty's phone was close enough when he opened his eyes that his breathe fogged up the screen. [You obviously don't remember a lot of things right now, and I don't either of you to say more things you'll regret later. Trust me, ok?]

Shizuo wondered why she was pushing that point so much, but if he really was forgetting some key elements then it was likely best to trust her judgement. She had never let him down before, so he simply nodded.

"Well… Even if I do have swelling or a fracture, or whatever the hell you said Shinra, I still think he is responsible for causing it! I'm actually injured, are you happy now, louse?" He glared at the informant's back, fists clenched from holding himself back.

Izaya stuffed his hands into his pockets and shifted his stance, still facing out into the apartment. His mumbled words were so listless that Shizuo barely heard them. "I wish I didn't remember what being happy felt like." With that, he strode out without bothering to look back at any of them.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Seconds later found Izaya paused just outside Shizuo's apartment building, hood pulled up to protect his ears from the cold. Bundled up in his arms was a sniffling child, her mess of long hair tickling his neck. He brushed her hair back, fingers shaking as he whispered, "Happy New Year's, Shizu-chan." The whipping winds seemed to blow away his words, never to be heard by their intended party.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

 **"Take me to your love shack."**

" _Where the hell did you get the kid from, I-za-ya." Shizuo growled out, his expression was absolutely livid and mere inches away from Izaya's deeply amused one. The unconscious gang members piled up around them were bloodied to a pulp, some appeared to have limbs twisted at horrific angles. Whatever peace this calm corner of Ikebukuro once had, had been tarnished with the first smash of Shizuo's fist against flesh._

 _For godssake, he had just been trying to pick up milk. But then he smelled it, the stench that seemed to permeate everything the flea touched. Izaya always had the talent of showing up and turning his life inside out; even when Shizuo had actively been trying to avoid him. This time, however, there was one difference… He hadn't been the one trying to beat up the flea._

 _Now, as he stared into those cursed red eyes, Shizuo assured himself that he only did it out of pity. Pests could be pitied, right? Yeah, of course they was the 'only' reason he dropped his milk to go save Izaya's sorry ass. That had to be it; pity._

 _The cursed flea had the gall to smile at him, "Ah, you're a man of many talents, Shizu-chan! A monster 'and' a knight in shining armor. But I must protest against being the damsel in distress. That honor should go to this young one, ne?" His spare hand never stopped moving, pointing this way and that, finally resting on the head of the child nestled safely in his jacket._

 _Shizuo was straining to hold back his child had thankfully hid inside that hideous jacket of Izaya's during the fight, but he was still pissed off for having to be violent anywhere near a kid. The nerve of that flea. He was going to kill him for this, maybe kick his scrawny ass all the way back to Shinjuku._

 _Just as he was about to try and snap out something the girl wouldn't understand but would still piss the flea off, a tiny hand poked out from the jacket and waved to him. "I am Or… O-ri-ha-ra Doraemon!" The girl squeaked out, reminding Shizuo of a mouse. "I named muhself!"_

 _He blinked, surprised._

" _You named yourself? Uh, where are your parents then, kid?" Shizuo pressed, ready to swipe her out of the flea's grasp. If the informant had kidnapped this kid, he really was going to murder him. But so far her expression didn't show any sign of distress. If anything, the more Shizuo pressed the matter the tighter she clung to the flea._

 _It was… really freaking weird._

" _Now now Dora-chan, you shouldn't talk to monsters." Izaya chastised gently and wrapped his arms a little tighter around her._

" _No." Dora piped up and pointed back up at Shizuo, who was unable to wipe the continued surprise off his face. "No monster." Now at least, he wasn't the only one. Izaya was staring down at her with wide eyes as well. "No monster, 'Zaya." The cherub cheeked girl accentuated each word with a pat to Izaya's cheek._

 _-.-.-.-.-.-_

Absolutely nothing was ordinary about this day, and it was really pissing Shizuo off. It was like some really messed up puzzle, the more he tried to make sense of it the more confusing it got. Shinra had assured him before he left that it was a normal feeling; that he would start to remember more sooner or later, but that didn't make it any easier.

He had tried to sit down with Celty in the kitchen, but the drawings and colorful magnets adorning the fridge stressed him out. They had moved into the living room to talk instead, but the scattered toys and child sized socks made him want to pull out his hair. When he saw a note written in Izaya's handwriting on his mirror, he lost it.

"Let's just go to the fuckin' cafe or something…" Shizuo groaned out from behind his hands. "I can't handle being here right now."

Despite her protests that he remain tucked in bed, the two of them made their way down the street to a quiet little corner cafe. The atmosphere was familiar, something Shizuo couldn't be more grateful for as they both got comfortable in the booth. There was a hum of muffled voices in the cafe, accentuated by the occasional hiss and protests of an espresso machine. Sweet scents of freshly baked goods permeated the warm room. It was just like he remembered.

Thank god.

"You weren't kiddin' about the snow." Shizuo mused, cheek in his palm as he turned to watch the rapidly descending flakes. Hopefully the flea and the kid weren't just wandering out in the cold somewhere. Not that he cared.

The faint clacking of keys was the only indication that Celty was working on a response. [It just started last night! It's beautiful, really.] The sound of the keys slowed to a stop, so he leaned back and waited quietly for her to collect her thoughts. [I hope Shinra makes it home okay.]

"Why didn't you just go home together? Busy day or somethin'?" He asked as he swirled his straw around a milkshake, combining the whipped cream and sweet milk.

Celty's response didn't come for several minutes. Apparently, he had stepped into a sore subject. He was just about to let her know that she had no obligation to tell him anything, when she finally resumed typing. Her grip on the PDA was tense, [So you don't remember that either? Well. . . He's been living with Izaya for a while now. I asked him to- Just so I could have some space to think.]

[You see, we had a fight.] She laid the PDA on the tabletop and cradled her helmet in one of her hands. [This group of. . . of really scary people have my head, Shizuo. The Talkers, they call themselves.] Each response was coming faster as she gained momentum, as if she had been holding this in for some time.

"I'm… sorry to hear that. Damn. I never thought that you two would split up," Shizuo sighed.

[No! It's not like that, we are just...] Celty shook her head. [We are still together, that much hasn't changed.]

Her hands shook as she continued. [It's just, Shinra, he- We couldn't agree on what to do about it! About my head...] Her shoulders shook, any semblance of her usual calm and reasoning demeanor was gone. [I love Shinra, I really do but I can't just let those thugs have my head. It's my _head._ ]

A couple passed by them, and Shizuo noticed how she hid the screen of her phone from their wandering sight. They took the booth directly behind theirs, but neither seemed to be paying much attention to their enthusiastic waitress. He eyed them and took a long sip of his drink. "Who are these people? The ones who have your head, I mean."

[Talkers. They started showing up last spring, I think.] She leaned forward, shielding her screen with her hand so only Shizuo could see. [I can't really say much in public, too many eyes, so I'll be brief. Izaya and the others can fill you in on the rest during our meeting tomorrow.]

The hiss of the espresso machine suddenly seemed far too loud.

"Why… Why would that _worm_ be helping you but Shinra isn't? You can't expect me to believe that." Shizuo dropped his gaze to his milkshake, voice strained. It was like he had fallen into some fucked version of their world. This was some Alice and Wonderland shit, and he wanted no part in it. "That guy would follow you to the ends of the Earth and _back_. Izaya… that jerk is just-"

[He's your best friend.]

The glass cup let out a sound similar to a shriek as it shattered in Shizuo's iron grip.

There was no getting away from the knowledge that Celty had presented to him, no way to argue his way around it. As she continued trying to explain things to him, all he could think about was how the hell Izaya got the best of him. Apparently all the work he had done to distance himself since he first met the flea had somehow been crushed. Yeah, he could imagine it now; Izaya skipping along the walls to his defenses, laughing manically as he kicked down each hastily built brick.

Refusal. Kick, gone.

Denial. Kick, gone.

Passionate hate. Kick, gone.

Is that how he did it? Did he widdle away at Shizuo's defenses until there was nothing left?

[I'm sure Izaya has his own motives for helping us, but don't we all? You never told me, but I suspect you joined to protect Izaya's little girl.]

Shizuo numbly wiped at the milky puddle spreading towards his lap, unable to focus on Celty's rapid paced messaging. Tufts of whipped cream floated through the remnants of the milky puddle like islands, and Shizuo imagined banishing Izaya to one of them. The flea hates sweets after all, what a fitting punishment.

[Originally I just wanted help to get my head back from the Talkers, but it became so much more. This group that I created... We have tried to stay small, remain low key, but Talkers are able to spread intel so fast…]

His mind began to repeat a mantra of, 'I hate that flea, I hate him. _I hate him_.' From that very first moment they laid eyes on each other, Shizuo couldn't help but obsess over him. There was something about him that just… ignited something in him, and he hated Izaya for that. So without meaning to, he helped force a distance between them.

' _I hate him._ _I hate him_. _I hate him. I hate him.'_ '

How had he allowed that distance to lessen? What sort of circumstance made him feel comfortable enough to do so? Shizuo was seconds from pulling his hair out; it was all too much, too aggravating.

[The Talkers have ruined Ikebukuro, Shizuo. It's chaos in the streets! Shinra is the only one of us who has held a real job for months now.]

There had to be a way out of this, out of this supposed friendship he was supposed to be in with Izaya. Things would get complicated far too quickly, and Shizuo knew that he would be helpless to do anything about it if he allowed that closeness. That thought made the hand cleaning up the milkshake freeze. What if…

What if things had already gotten… Complicated?

[They use the truth to tear down families, businesses, any and everybody they can get their hands on. Anybody who gets in their way is gotten rid of... Ikebukuro has been swallowed whole.]

Shizuo tensed more when he realized that a part of him wasn't disgusted by that idea.

It had taken Celty at least another ten minutes before she realized Shizuo was too distracted to take in more information, and he was sure he was never going to hear the end of it. On their walk back a half hour later, she spent the entire time trying to dig into what Shizuo had been thinking about that had made him look so pink. Much to his displeasure, the falling snow had lessened. The distraction it provided would have been nice.

The dullahan left him with stern instructions to relax and change his bandages, as well a promise to return in the morning with breakfast. They could talk more then, she had assured.

Shizuo pressed his back against cold metal and breathed in sweet nicotine, letting the remaining snowflakes fall on his face as he tried to relax. He busied his mind with trying to recollect Celty's words at the cafe. The ones that didn't just go in one ear and out the other.

From what he caught, there were some freaks calling themselves Talkers causing trouble in town, Shinra was living with Izaya, and somehow Shizuo had ended up working for Celty's little underground group. He had to catch himself from biting his cigarette in half out of frustration.

Not that he didn't trust Celty, but he needed to see all of this for himself. Swiping his phone out, he tapped through his calendar and schedule. Instead of his usual work schedule with Tom, notes were typed out. Weird.

January 1st: 'Dora from 6am to 6pm,' and 'Kick Izaya for drinkin the last of the tea,'

January 2nd: 'Dora from 4am to noon'

He clicked through the tabs, trying to find something that would show evidence of that he still worked with Tom, but all he found were more notes on what time to pick someone up and meeting times. Whatever his job in Celty's weird little group was, it seemed to involve watching this 'Dora' quite a lot.

His thumb hovered over the current days notes and he frowned. No one, not even Celty, had mentioned him needed to watch someone today. Whatever. He would just ask her tomorrow.

"Shizuo~! Hey there!" Shizuo reluctantly turned when he recognized Shinra's voice calling for him. The doctor was bouncing down the sidewalk towards him, the kid from earlier balanced on his shoulders. She was damn near unrecognizable with a massive yellow scarf swallowing her up like a anaconda.

If she was here, where was Izaya?

Shizuo raised an eyebrow and gave Shinra the faintest of nods in greeting. Strange. If Shinra was living way over in Shinjuku then what was he doing back here?

The doctor smiled grimly and adjusted his own scarf so he could speak better. "I don't have a lot of time so," He slung the tiny bundle off his shoulders and stuffed her into Shizuo's arms. "Hot potato! Izaya has been acting weirder than usual, scary weird, and then he just up and left out of nowhere. So I'm leaving my beloved niece in your hands while I go hunt him down."

"That flea is always weird." Shizuo sighed, much too aware of the child's presence to show how frustrated he truly was. He shifted the struggling bundle, unsure of how to even hold the toddler without breaking her. "Go drop her off with Celty or an actual daycare. I'm not open for business."

Shinra just dropped a small backpack by Shizuo's feet when he tried to hand the kid back. "C'mon, it's important. I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could do it." The doctor's smile was tense as he spoke and it looked like his hands were shaking.

He frowned, a strange sense of dread filling him.

"What's really going on?" Shizuo pressed, still holding the girl out in front of him awkwardly. "W-Wait- Don't you dare run away from me, Shinra! Hey! Tch…" He called out after the fleeing man. Inwardly, he wished a curse on Shinra as the man sped off in a nearby car.

The wind bit at his face, making him scowl even more.

There was very little he could do about the situation. Whatever was happening Shinra didn't feel necessary to share. It wasn't like he could just stomp after Shinra either, it was too cold outside for a kid. His own morals and soft nature insisted he go ahead and take care of her, but... It was a kid.

What was he supposed to with a _kid_?

Shizuo glanced down at her and found wide brown eyes staring right back at him. They stared each other down, the elder hoping that she would tell him what to do. "Um, hey." He spoke.

Her eyes shifted briefly before her face disappeared altogether into the scarf. Shizuo couldn't help but smile at the sight. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard.

"I dunno about you, but I'm getting cold." He mused and tossed the remains of his cigarette into a nearby bin. The bundle shifted, scarf falling down enough to reveal one curious eye. "Not so talkative after this morning? That's alright. It's been a weird day for me too."

"Sleepy." She mumbled, though it was barely audible behind her scarf. Her head dropped like a rock onto Shizuo's shoulder, and tiny fists grabbed at his coat. He was touched, and a little unnerved, by how trusting the girl was.

When she shivered, despite her abundant winter gear, he moved to go back inside. Backpack in one hand and sleepy pile of laundry in the other, he stumbled his way up to his apartment. It took several attempts to maneuver the door open with no hands, but he managed.

Just a few steps into the apartment and he had already stepped on one of the toys scattered about. The resulting curse and sway in his balance didn't appear to startle the dozing child, in fact Shizuo thought he felt drool dampening his shirt against his shoulder. How long had Shinra been toting her around? The poor kid was exhausted.

Shizuo stepped towards his couch before pausing and eyeing the hefty plush cow resting atop it. The stuffed bovines eyes were beady and seemed to stare right back at him. It was unsettling, to say the least. He stiffened under it's strange gaze and slowly lowered the girl to the opposite end of the couch.

The second she was placed on the couch she began to kick her winter gear off, tossing it in every direction. Copious amounts of static from the furry materials made her dark hair stick up in every direction. "Want juice." She squeaked out, now that she had lost half her size in outerwear.

Shizuo had to bite his lip to prevent himself from chuckling at the dramatic change from marshmallow to a miniature version of the girl from The Ring. As if by instinct, he reached down to ruffle her already tousled hair. It was as if he had done it countless times before. "Juice, hm? I don't think I have any juice, kiddo."

"Juice, hmmm~" The girl mimicked quietly as she scrambled to the ground. Shizuo raised an eyebrow and watched as she padded towards the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a small juice box out of the door. "See? I knowed juice." Her chubby little hands held the juice box over her head as she waddled back towards him.

He suddenly had the impression that she knew more about his apartment then he did right now.

As he opened the juice box for her, a thought occurred to him. "Hey… What's your name?" He asked, setting the drink back into her eager hands. "And where are your parents?"

In between generous sips of apple juice she squeaked, "I am," _sip._ "O-ri-ha-ra Dorae-" _hiccup._ "-mon!"

Shizuo couldn't hold back an amused grin, "Your mother named you after that cartoon? Can I call you Dora, for short?"

"Papa say Dora-chan," Dora nodded, sipping on her juice with eyes closed in contentment. "He say I picked a good name."

Before Shizuo could question further about why she had to name herself, there was a urgent pounding at his front door. It was sudden and loud enough to make Dora jump and drop her juice, spilling its contents all over the previously clean carpet. Wide eyes shot up to him, dripping with unshed tears. He waved the spill off with a small smile, "Don't cry, don't cry. It's just juice, I'll get you another one in just a minute."

The rapid pounding at the door stopped, and Shizuo ignored it in favor of cheering up Dora with another juice box. Anyone of great importance would have known that the door was always unlock-

Another juice box fell to the ground, soaking the carpet before it could be placed into the little hands reaching for it. Shizuo stepped in front of Dora to shield her young eyes from the scary sight; a man stumbling through the open door, the tips of fur lining his coat thoroughly bloodied. His thin figure was hunched over and leaning on the doorway so his hood was covering his eyes, but he would be able to recognize that godawful coat anywhere. Dread hit Shizuo like a punch to the gut.

"Flea? What the hell?" He whispered, keeping his voice level so he wouldn't scare the girl.

Izaya gripped the doorframe, panting heavily. "H-hah, Shizu-chan," He straightened up seconds later, somehow managing to still look cocky with bruises peppering his pale cheeks. As if his leg _wasn't_ bleeding all over Shizuo's carpet. "Don't think you can get out of your contract just because of a little boo-boo. Who knew you were so pathetic to get done in by something as simple as a gunshot~ Whatever will I do with such a pathetic bodyguard, ne?"

Shizuo took a step forward, unsure how to approach the flea after everything that had happened that morning. "Tch. You're talking nonsense, flea. How about you explain what you're doing here before I kick you right back out." Even as he said it, he knew that he wouldn't kick him out. He hated the pest but he knew it wouldn't be the right thing to do. Besides, it was hard not to pity him, looking as shitty as he did.

"Papa?" Dora squeaked from behind him, her little hands grabbing at the fabric of his jeans.

Izaya's eyes dropped to her, and any semblance of emotion melted off his face faster than ice on a summer sidewalk. The hands on his jeans loosened their grip as Dora started moving towards him. Shizuo watched, baffled, as the flea promptly turned his back on them. Then he did the strangest thing; he started laughing.

Crazed laughter, riddled with hiccups and something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, bounced off the walls. The flea bent forward, his hands clenching at his stomach as the disturbed laughter continued to ring out.

It was weird… really fucking weird.

And very unlike the Izaya he was used to.

Izaya's gasped out mirthless words, "You- I can't believe-" More laughter broke up his equally weird muttering. "You aren't supposed to _be_ here! Shinra, oh that absolute moron. There's no time, not enough time."

Shizuo strode forward and tried to grab the flea's shoulder. "Izaya?"

As soon as his fingertips touched that jacket, Izaya slammed his fist against the doorframe. The room went silent. He leaned forward, not deterred by the show of violence, and could just barely make out the outline of Izaya's face under his hood. It was twisted in hot white agony.

"Listen, flea. I don't know what the hell is going on right now, but…" He grumbled awkwardly, low so the girl wouldn't hear. "Shinra dropped the kid off a few minutes ago, and you are really freaking her the fuck out. So get it together before I take my chance to slap you back into reality, damn it."

Red rimmed eyes stared down, emotion slipping from that pale face once again. In the space of a blink the hysterical informant spun back around was back to his usual smarmy self, grin and all. "Why Shizu-chan, I didn't know you cared~" Izaya purred, and suddenly Shizuo was much too aware of how close he was to the informant.

Grumbling, he took several steps back. "I _don't._ " This was much better. This was an Izaya that he knew how to deal with, that he knew how to hate. "Now would you explain-"

"What are you two standing around for, we're in a hurry, ne? We have a bunch of baddies to outrun after all." Izaya spun around on his heel, swiped up Dora into his arms, and started marching out of the room. When Shizuo didn't follow right away, Izaya rolled his eyes and covered Dora's ears. "Said baddies fully intend on murdering the both of us if we are caught, so it would be beneficial for Shizu-chan to catch up."

Shizuo just stared, "And why the hell should I believe you?"

The abrupt whistle and crack of gunfire assaulted his ears, echoing shouts coming soon after. Izaya slammed the door shut and sprinted towards the baloney, now their only possible escape route. He threw his legs over the edge of the railing, Dora bundled up tight in his jacket, and sang back to Shizuo. "Oh I dunno~"

Though he had no reason to trust the informant, at this point, after the fucked up day he was having already, Shizuo chose to take a leap of faith. Given his options, live or die, it didn't seem like he really had much of a choice.

Izaya's smirk grew exponentially when Shizuo threw his own legs over the railing, just in time for the front door to be smashed in. Bullets whistled in the air above them as they jumped, landing safely in a snow pile several meters below. Angry shouts and rapid gunfire sliced through the once peaceful Ikebukuro winter air. The two of them wasted no time in jumping to their feet and making a beeline for the nearby alleys.

They sprinted down the alleyway, Shizuo following just behind Izaya. The harsh wind was fighting against them as they ran, blowing their hair back and biting against their skin. When Izaya used a trashcan to jump over a low wall, Shizuo followed step for step. Despite the apparent direness of the situation, running after Izaya like this still managed to bring a grin to his face.

"Where are we _going_?!" Shizuo called out as they skidded around another corner, the informant in front of him slowing down noticeably. "Hey! Damn it, answer me would you!" He grabbed the back of Izaya's hood and yanked, catching the rogue flea for the first time in his life. There was no time to revel in his victory, however, because there was the distinct slap of boots against pavement not far behind them.

Instead of jumping away from him, Izaya fell backwards into his arms; Shizuo would later swear that he only wrapped his arms around the flea because he was too surprised to do otherwise.

" _Hey-!_ " Shizuo shook him, pushing so Izaya was standing on his own two feet, but his legs just crumpled underneath him again. The flea hissed in pain, and Shizuo frowned when he realized his leg was still bleeding. "Damn it. Damn it. _Damn it._ "

There was no way to get around it. Crap, he was going to regret this later.

Shizuo grabbed a very surprised Izaya by his arms and in one smooth movement yanked the informant onto his back, child and all. Dora turned around and quickly wrapped her shaking arms around Shizuo's neck, trapped safely between the two. Izaya didn't have a chance to argue, for gunfire was now lighting up their section of alleyway.

If someone had told him years back that he would be doing this very thing someday, he would have sent them to the moon.

Ignoring the ache in his head, a sure sign his pain killers were wearing off, Shizuo dashed past the nearest corner. Whoever was chasing them, they had no idea who they were dealing with. He barely felt bad about hurdling a van in their direction. The vehicle shrieked and sparked as it was forced into the narrow cavity of the alleyway, effectively blocking it.

Shizuo wiped an icy sheen of sweat off his forehead, scowling at the congested alleyway. That should buy them a few extra minutes to escape.

"Ne, Shizu-chan~" Izaya hummed into his ear, disturbing Shizuo with how close he was. "Our getaway car is right there. You were one car away from ruining our escape, you protozoan. What would we have done then?"

If he could have dropped Izaya on his ass, he would have. Instead, he settled with elbowing him in the gut. "Shuddup. Let's just get out of here before they find a way around that van."

Izaya climbed down, not being shy about kicking Shizuo's legs as he did so. "Wow, did you think of that plan on your own?" He rolled wine colored eyes and balanced Dora on his hip, limping quickly past a fuming Shizuo. "Well, now. As much as I love hearing you try to put together intelligent speech, I think it would be best if we stop talking." The battered informant ducked down to fumble under the front carriage of a dark car, grasping ahold of a key taped to its bottom. They fell into silence as they piled into it, the only sound around them being the distance shouts of their pursuers.

Shizuo slammed the passenger side door shut once he was settled inside, crossed his arms and prayed for Izaya to get shot in the ass.

Their eyes met each other and they each glared. Izaya turned away sharply and shut the back door now that Dora was tucked into a car seat, but not before placing the briefest of kisses against her forehead. Having been watching them in the rear view mirror, Shizuo was knocked for a loop by the gesture. A knot caught in his throat and he had to look away.

Once Izaya slid into the driver's side, they were driving away in mere seconds.

Ikebukuro passed by in a flash, and they must have been fleeing west because after a period they still hadn't passed Shinjuku or any other areas Shizuo was familiar with. At first the drive was utterly silent, all parties either too exhausted, or stressed from the chase to attempt arguing with one another. It wasn't like Shizuo wanted to speak to him anyway. He was far too shell shocked from the day's roller coaster of events to even attempt to collect his feelings.

At least they got away from those gunmen, safe and sound.

Well, safe was pushing it. If Izaya would stop fucking texting then they would be a hell of a lot safer. The sheer irresponsibility made him growl and grip the sides of his chair, the fabric tearing from the pressure. He would not lose it and throw the flea out of the car. He would not lose it and throw the flea out of the car. He would not- "Give me that!"

The third time that the informant had started typing, Shizuo swiped it right out of his hands. The flea blinked out the windshield for several moments, before turning to glare at him. "What the hell? Give that back~" Izaya pouted, reaching his spare hand over to slap at Shizuo.

"I'd rather live, thanks." Shizuo grumbled and peered suspiciously at the chat room the flea had been so intently involved in. Who the hell was Tsukumoya Shinichi and why was he so goddamn important? He gripped the phone so tight the keys dug into his skin. "Would you watch the road? God, we are gonna end up in a ditch at this point."

The car was silent for what felt like hours, but was surely just minutes, before Izaya cocked his head back to grin at Dora. "Doing alright, Dora-chan? Ah, I know what will make you feel better~"

The cherry on top of Shizuo's fucked up day ended up being forced to sit and endure listening to Izaya sing song, after song, _after song._ It wasn't unpleasant so much as it was beyond bizarre, and he couldn't complain too much because it seemed to cheer Dora up.

The sun sunk low in the strawberry filtered sky as they continued to drive on. Once they passed into a thick forest, the sun became obscured by tall, looming branches. It made it difficult to see much farther than the area the headlights illuminated. What was left of their sunlight disappeared minutes later, leaving them surrounded in harsh darkness.

Shizuo sat straighter when the car slowed to a halt, the headlights illuminating a shadowy structure in front of them. "Where the hell did you take us?" He probed, his whole body tense.

"What does it look like, Shizu-chan? It's a house. Well, shack to be precise."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~!  
**

 **If there are any glaring errors or whatever, just let me know and I'll fix 'em. ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four:**

" **I found out that everybody talks."**

 _The click of his step echoed back to him, bouncing off the whitewashed walls of the hallway. The sound was maddening._

 _But he was already mad, wasn't he?_

 _Mad. What a laugh! Who would have thought?_

 _He would have laughed, but that would have given away his position in the building. This was a task that called for stealth. Though, he was no fool. He knew they were aware of his presence and were just waiting to take a bite out of him. Would he taste bitter? He felt bitter. For what he had already done, for what he did just last night, and for what he was about to do._

' _There hadn't been time to fix it-!' His mind argued with him._

 _No, the need for time wouldn't have been necessary if he hadn't dialed that number. He wouldn't be listening to his footsteps echo back to him like some sort of twisted countdown if he hadn't dialed that number._

 _But he hadn't known what else to do. There hadn't seemed like any other option at the time._

 _But that was just one of his many regrets, now wasn't it?_

 _There was only one way to remedy what he had done._

 _Action had to be taken. His revenge had to be swift._

 _Yes, he was certainly mad. If only the residents of Ikebukuro could see him now, wings spread and ready to fall into utter lunacy. What a sight that would be, such a man falling under the weight of his own grief; grief that had twisted itself into madness sometime around 2:00am last night. It would swallow him whole, if the guilt didn't eat away at his very soul before then._

 _The click of his step stopped when he passed through a heavy set of doors onto plush red carpet. He admired it and wondered with a dark smile if the purpose of such a color was to hide blood. Would it hide his blood? He hoped not. He wanted them to have a reminder that he was here. That he killed their leader._

 _Oh, he had doubts about the plan. That was for sure. It revolved around him actually being able to take a life, a human life. That in itself was a major deterrent, something that filled him to the brim with nausea. The sight of human blood on his hands was sure to cause him to overflow._

 _Two sets of brown eyes flashed behind his eyes, a cruel memory of love._

 _His hands shook in his pockets but he planted his feet in the center of the elaborately furnished room. There was no going back now. He would probably become nothing more than a stain on this bastard's carpet, but as long as he put a bullet in that man's head it would be worth it._

 _Just like they had done to Shizuo._

' _Your fault.' His thoughts argued, collecting until his mind was nothing more than a kaleidoscope of screams._

 _To his left, a nervous looking secretary scrambled to her feet and stepped towards him. He held up a hand and turned calm eyes onto the man whose blood would soon join his own on the carpet. Bodyguards rose from their seats around a card table, eyeing him with great suspicion. They were right to be suspicious._

" _We weren't expecting you, Mr. Orihara."_

Barely noticeable in the darkened woods, a small owl hopped out onto a branch and surveyed its territory; a seemingly endless forest, sprinkled with snow and broken only by the occasional stream or halfhearted path. Its reflective gaze focused on a point in the distance, drawn in by the movement it saw there.

His body readied, wings slightly outstretched and calculating eyes focused on the movements. If it was a mouse he would be ready for it. But the figures that broke through the underbrush and tore past his tree were definitely not bite-sized. One of them startled him by grabbing the base of his tree and ripping it from the ground, roots and all, rudely forcing him to fly up into another tree.

He cried out at the disturbance, flapping his wings furiously at the home-wrecker. The tall one that had his tree grasped in his hands paused and looked up, eyes widening briefly. Their eyes met and just when it seemed like the tall one was about to relinquish his tree, a high laugh rang out in the still air. They both twitched.

Shizuo sent the poor woodland creature a regretful look before heaving the large tree into the air, aiming for a certain pesky informant. There was a shriek, an echoing crash, and then laughter. He stomped forward, stampeding over any unlucky trees or branches in his way. It was impossibly dark and he wasn't in the mood to maneuver around them. The tree had landed just yards away from Izaya, and the flea was attempting to climb another tree but was laughing far too hard to be successful.

Growling, he dragged Izaya down by the back of his hood and slammed his back against the bark. The tree groaned in protest and shuddered, sending the scarce few leaves it had left down around the pair. Izaya let out a choked gasp as the breath was knocked out of him. Those dark eyes widened for the barest second, before narrowing to harsh slits. That grin of his, that damn grin, only widened at Shizuo's display of anger.

Shizuo's grip tightened in Izaya's coat, seconds from shredding the thin fabric. It would fall apart between his hands like wet paper. Too easy.

"Just like old times, ne Shizu-chan?" Izaya said, laughing.

"What part of this is _funny_ to you?" Shizuo growled, leaning in close until their foreheads were pressed together. His nose twitched when the scent of baby powder got stronger, unbearably so.

Izaya let out a slight chuckle, but Shizuo slapped his hand over his mouth before he could speak.

Words slipped out like venom from his lips, "Are you having fun fucking with me, dammit? Dragging me to the middle of- I don't even know where! The kid is the only reason I allowed you to drag me _this_ far. And now you're telling me, what?" The hand covering Izaya's mouth shifted to punch a hole in the tree. The force made it release deep groans of protest. Izaya didn't so much as wince. "That we are _stuck here_?"

Then, heavy gusts from the mountains fell upon them, licking them harshly with icy wind. The chill was barely noticeable to him, despite his simple tee and jeans, but he could feel Izaya's body trembling against his own. Shizuo frown deepened and his first instinct was to reach out and pull the shivering form closer. His arms only moved a few inches towards Izaya before his head caught up with his actions.

He scowled and yanked them back, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Izaya had stopped struggling and now peered at him with a bemused expression. For the briefest of moments they just stood there with snow slowly falling around them, encased in tense silence. Shizuo, mind racing as he tried to deny what he had just tried to do, had yet to distance himself from Izaya. Then Izaya shifted, and the fur around his hood brushed against Shizuo's neck. The familiarity of that brief touch made his stomach tense, a deep emotion constricting it.

"Shizu-chan," Izaya purred, leaning forward to whisper into Shizuo's ear. "Have you not been paying attention? If we were to hide out somewhere, say a hotel, where people could see us, then we would be dead within the day. If you are so eager to die, why don't you let me do the honors."

Shizuo felt the sharp press of metal against his neck and jumped back, glaring hard.

"I get the point," He snapped. "But what the hell, flea. You call me stupid, but really. We don't even have proper clothes for something like this! I think I deserve an explanation."

Izaya leaned back into the tree, noticeably shifting his weight off his injured leg. Instead of an answer, all he got was silence, Izaya now looking far more interested in the canopy of branches above them than in the conversation.

"We're not going back until I get some damn answers." He spat, stepping back to lean on his own tree, never letting his gaze drift from the snow-dusted broker. "So would you be a damn human being for once and y'know, explain?"

For a moment, silence tainting the air, he was sure that Izaya was going to remain silent. (New ) In the dark, he could only make out the outline of that pale face. Whatever expression he wore was hidden to him, and to the world.

"Well?" Shizuo said.

Yards away, the flea pushed himself away from the tree and began strolling back towards the car, his hands clasped behind his head.

Eyes narrowed, Shizuo took several long strides to catch up with Izaya. "Hey! I said we are staying here until you give me some answers!" He reached out to grab Izaya's hand, but stopped himself and jerked back away at the last second. "Flea-"

"Do be quiet, Shizu-chan." Izaya said, taking longer strides to stay ahead of him. "You are Dora-chan's bodyguard, meaning you are under my employment. So if I don't want to discuss something, you should obey and shut up like a good dog. And as long as you are done chasing me, I'd like to go back and check on her."

Shizuo rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stalked after Izaya. "I'm gonna tear you to pieces, Flea…" He grumbled. "At least have the decency to tell me who the hell was chasing us! Don't forget, I'd be just as happy beating the answers out of you."

Izaya let out a long, drawn out sigh as he stopped, reached up, and wrapped his arms around a low hanging branch. Shizuo watched with narrowed eyes as the broker kicked at the Earth beneath him with his good leg and pulled himself up onto the branch with feline ease. Still, he said nothing. He just surveyed their shadowy surroundings with a smile, well, a disturbed interpretation of a smile.

"Flea…"

"So impatient," Izaya said, legs swinging beneath him. "I think it would only be fair to discuss payment first. My usual rate is surely far too rich for you, so how about this. You agree to actually abide by your contract with me and not 'pound me', and I'll take that as payment."

"Why should I even believe anything you tell me?"

"Tsk tsk, biting the hand that feeds you, Shizu-chan? You _are_ the one that asked in the first place. I didn't get so far in my practice by providing substandard information, well, for paying customers at least." Izaya made a lazy gesture with his hand as he kicked his feet back and forth, almost hitting Shizuo in the head.

Shizuo glared up at him and leaned his shoulder against the mossy bark, angling his head away from Izaya's swinging legs. He picked at the edge of his shirt as he watched the broker's back.

So far, the rare pieces of information that he could get the flea to tell him had matched what little Celty herself had told him. They weren't safe in Ikebukuro, so Shizuo was he and his daughter's bodyguard, and that girl was somehow Izaya's kid…

But that was all he knew for sure. While the [annoyingly long] car ride had allowed him the chance to reflect, he was still unsure. He could make several guesses about certain things, why there had been kid's junk all over his apartment for instance, but there was still so much that he needed to puzzle together. He couldn't help but wonder if it was normal that he was having trouble collecting his thoughts.

Absentmindedly, he ran his fingers along the bandage wrapped around his head.

"Fine, whatever. Just get on with it, already." Shizuo sighed.

"Good boy." Izaya clapped his hands. "But I do have one other condition."

Shizuo ground his teeth, already regretting agreeing to his conditions. "What is it?"

Several long moments passed, long enough that Shizuo began to wonder if Izaya had even heard him. He craned his head back to peer up at the man, whose face was hidden behind his hood, and raised an eyebrow when the silence persisted. The legs that had been swinging under the flea had come to a halt, and his hands were gripping the rough bark so hard that the knuckles were turning white.

"The faster you talk, flea, the faster we can get back to Dora." He said.

"I'm aware," Izaya spoke finally, an edge to his tone that hadn't been there before. "The other condition is simple. Just answer two questions. Do you really not remember the last few months? You're sure that you don't remember last night?"

Shizuo blinked. "I'm pretty sure you were in the room when Shinra explained things. But," He paused, running a hand through his snow sprinkled hair. "No. I don't."

"You're certain?"

"Yes, damnit. I'm sure."

"Well then, we should stop beating around the bush, ne? I'm sure you are wondering just what you are doing here." Izaya returned to kicking his legs back and forth.

Shizuo pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to refrain from launching Izaya's tree into the sky.

"How should I begin?" Izaya mused, his tone taking on a thoughtful quality.

Shizuo tilted his head back, bumping it back against the tree as he watched Izaya tilt his own head back and stare up at the canopy of branches above them. The informant's face was angled just so that he was able to see the edges of his stupid face, highlighted by the moon.

"How about I start with the most recent events, eh? You know, who those men chasing us down were. I guess you can say that they are just muscle heads, insignificant men who do the bidding of their higher ups. They were surprisingly efficient in following me to your place, but then again, the Talkers are not called 'talkers' for nothing. I'm sure my location was being broadcasted from every member and frightened supporter as I passed through your sweet little Ikebukuro." Izaya twirled his hand as he spoke, gesturing vaguely.

Shizuo nodded along, thinking back to the moment the men burst into his apartment. It pissed him off to no end that they would endanger a child like that. If possible, he wanted to prevent her from having to experience anything like that again. She was just a kid, she didn't need to know that kind of fear.

"Yeah, they are scumbags, I get it." He snapped. "But why were they chasing you? And why the hell would you bring them to my apartment? If we weren't fast enough, Dora might have gotten hurt."

Izaya tilted his head back far enough to lock eyes with Shizuo. "Eh? If she had gotten hurt then that would be on your head, not mine."

"Why the hell would it be my fault?" He growled, thumping his fist against the tree and jostling Izaya. The branch he was perched on shook for a nervous second, and the flea brought his legs up to wrap around it.

Izaya scooted to the side slowly and wrapped one arm around the thickest part of the trunk. "Do you mind? It's rather rude to knock around the person so kindly providing you with information. Or are you that uncivilized that you can't go ten minutes without using brute force?"

"Just get on with it, will you?" Shizuo grumbled, turning his gaze away from Izaya, and instead began to watch snow gather on top of his shoes.

How could they have been friends? He was ready to pull his hair out after just one conversation with the man.

Izaya clicked his tongue.

"It would be _your_ fault because you are our bodyguard," He said, tapping thin fingers against the trunk. "Your contract covers both of us, Dora-chan and I. 'Now, why would Izaya ever hire me?'' I bet you're wondering. Well you see, sometime last summer those Talkers started to become less of a nuance and more of a legitimate threat. They started sending their goons after me, and well, I got tired of dealing with it."

"Dora-chan didn't much care for the original bodyguards I hired. Too scary, she said. One morning she asked if I could hire you, the one who so sweetly prevented us from getting our heads split open one day. Such an interesting child, that one. Wasn't the slightest bit afraid of you, even though you beat those men bloody right in front of her." Izaya trailed off, voice becoming contemplative, almost confused.

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "So you hired me because your kid liked me. Is that it?"

"I wasn't actually the one to agree to it." Izaya shrugged. "As interesting a prospect it as I found it, I wasn't about to trust a monster to guard either one of us. "

You shithead, Shizuo thought to himself as he rubbed his temples.

"Hey, two seconds ago you said _you_ hired me."

"Did I?" Izaya asked pleasantly. "I can assure you that was not the case. What a ridiculous mind you have."

He was two seconds away from snapping Izaya's pretty little neck.

"Well, who _did_ then?"

"The big cheese. The top dog. Our fearless, and headless, leader." Izaya barked out a laugh, "You see, I would never hire someone like you, so she got it in her 'head' to hire you for me. Annoying, right? It takes a monster to trust a monster, I suppose."

Shizuo's fingers harshly dug into the bark as Izaya spoke. "Tch. You can't act like a human being for one minute can you?"

Izaya let out a light chuckle.

Shizuo pressed his hand to his forehead and took several deep breathes. "...So, Celty is the leader of this, group, or whatever you are calling yourselves. She hired me to watch your ass. So I'm guessing that would make me a part of this war you have going on?" He thought out loud. "I don't like it."

"Well well, look who is finally catching up." Izaya said, "What a good boy."

He glanced up, eyes narrowing. "Just who are they, anyway? These Talkers? They can't be all powerful. I'm sure Celty and I could handle them. Instead of hiding and waiting here, we should just go back and fight." Just the idea of staying in this place for an extended period of time made him fidgety.

If it wasn't for the dim light provided by the rising moon, Shizuo wouldn't have seen the look Izaya cast down at his injured leg. It was brief, but he saw it.

"I already tried that, stupid protozoan."

Shizuo frowned and scrutinized Izaya in the dim light. "What?" The brisk night air whistling through the trees was the only response he received. He took a step forward, snow and leaves crunching underfoot. Izaya merely shrugged, pulled his hood up, and began maneuvering his way through the underbrush to get back to the car.

Shinra's words from earlier that day replayed in his mind. " _Izaya has been acting weirder than usual, scary weird, and then he just up and left."_

That had been just before Izaya showed up on his doorstep looking like a bloody sack of shit.

"Hey, what the hell? Where did you get those injuries?" He called out as he stomped after Izaya.

The evidence was adding up to a conclusion that made no sense to him. Izaya wasn't one to jump into fights or tackle problems head on, he was the type to play puppet master in the background, yanking at strings until he got results that interested him. Taking drastic measures into his own hands, well, that just wasn't like him. The Izaya he had known wouldn't have done something so stupid.

"Flea- Don't ignore me, damn you."

The shorter man remained unfazed, simply staring up at him when he planted himself directly in his path.

"What do you mean you already tried that?"

Izaya stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned back onto his heels, appraising Shizuo with a look he couldn't identify. "I mean just that. Now, if you would kindly move aside." He smirked and make a shooing motion with his hand.

Shizuo stared back at him. "Will you stop changing the subject," He ground out through clenched teeth. "Was it worth it? Whatever you did? I hope you realize you freaked Shinra out, leaving like that. Some friend you are. He dropped the kid off with me so he could go find you. Seemed pretty concerned."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

He studied Izaya's impassive face, searching it for any clues. His expression revealed next to nothing, and it bristled Shizuo's already fried nerves. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting.

"I don't get it." Shizuo locked eyes with Izaya, hot coals meeting cold stone. "You can't even be honest with your friends? I mean, that's what Celty says we are."

Izaya smirked up at him. "You must have knocked more loose than just your memories." He stepped to the side and moved past Shizuo, hitting him with his shoulder as he passed. Shizuo followed him with his eyes. "Why would I be friends with a monster? How preposterous! I'm quite content with how things are between us. It's much more interesting this way, ne?"

He brushed off the stab in his gut as anger at the blatant lie, and forced his feet to follow Izaya back through the trees. There was nothing that Izaya could say that would make him believe Celty had lied to him. She wouldn't lie, not about something like that. The real question was, why would Izaya lie to him about it?

Shizuo kicked a rock, sending it torpedoing through the quiet forest, where it met with a thick wall of trees with loud crash.

"It started slow."

"Huh?" He blinked. "What are you going on about now?"

"They were likely just one or two informants working together, slowly recruiting followers. Now, I bet you are wondering what they wanted, what they were hoping to achieve by gathering a larger and larger information network. It's quite simple," Izaya moved through the forest, far quieter than Shizuo, as he spoke. His injured leg was the only one making audible steps. "money and power. "Those who control information are essentially gripping society by its balls. If they need more information they simply give a tug. If people do something they don't like, or cross them, they can just tug. You can't make a move without getting your shit ripped off. You see, the chaos comes when you get on their bad side."

He didn't want to dissuade Izaya from continuing, so he kept his mouth shut for the moment. There would be time to question him later. For now, he took the information that was being spilled (with a grain of salt, of course). As long as Izaya was feeling generous, and suspiciously human, he was willing to listen.

Izaya didn't seem to care that he hadn't commented. "You see, Shizu-chan. These Talkers managed to climb the way to the top of the food chain because they are so well versed in information. The information business is quite competitive, however, so what do you think they did to claw their way up? Yep, they destroyed anyone who got in their way. So any informants that are left are either in hiding or have joined up with them."

As he rambled on, Shizuo made a cautious sweep of the area with his gaze, noting that they were almost back to the car. The glimmer of light from the headlights could be seen cutting through the darkness to his right. Izaya skipped in that direction and directly into the two lines of light. He threw his head back and began to twirl.

"It's simple really. Didn't want to share what you had? You got your throat slit in a back alley. Continued with your own information business? I know other informants who got their tongues cut out." Izaya said, a mad grin cutting across his face.

"Fail to do what they ask? Well," The broker chuckled.

He completed one more twirl before smoothly transitioning into a brisk walk towards the car doors. Shizuo followed, leaning against the car and following Izaya with his eyes. Delight lit up the broker's eyes when he saw Dora sleeping in her car seat, unharmed. "Let's use my Dora-chan as an example," He tucked his hands behind his head and slowly spun away from Shizuo. "Her parents were simple owners of a local business, an electronics store. From what I could gather, their relationship was already on rocky terms and their business was about to go out of business any day. I distinctly remember hearing about them from a contact, because they were searching for ways to make quick money. That is where the Talkers come in."

Shizuo looked down at the sleeping child, his heart sinking.

Izaya was bent out of his sight now, but he could hear the quiet twinkling of keys. A moment later, his head popped up over the back of the truck. "I suspect their group lent them money in exchange for whatever information they could provide. Likely nothing of great merit, but apparently enough to get a small loan. The important thing here is that their business was never able to recover, even with that money. So what happens when you can't pay men like that back? Well, in this case, they decide to destroy your life any way they can." The broker's eyes narrowed, and Shizuo raised an eyebrow. Their eyes met briefly, before the contact was cut when the hood of the trunk popped up in between them.

"They told Dora-chan's father that she wasn't his, biologically…" His voice trailed off as he stared into the trunk, expression unreadable.

Shizuo's fists clenched at his sides, "That son of a bitch…"

"My my, he certainly takes his work seriously." Izaya clicked his tongue, already ignoring him.

"What?" He pressed, shifting to stand beside Izaya.

The broker glanced at him, and then looked pointedly down at the trunk. Shizuo tilted his head, curious, and leaned forward to see what had caught Izaya's attention. Three suitcases had been jammed in the cramped space, not leaving an inch of room. Izaya reached in and started opening each one. "I didn't even know Dora-chan would be coming with us, and yet he packed for her as well."

"Who?" Shizuo pressed.

One of the suitcases was lifted out, with considerable struggle, and jammed into Shizuo's arms. He heard Izaya groan with strain as he dragged another out, adding it's weight on top of the suitcase already in Shizuo's arms. Shizuo held them out, examining them like one would a ticking time bomb. A scoff made him frown and look back up. Izaya had wrangled another suitcase out of the trunk and was watching him with interest. "Not even phased by the weight, are you, Shizu-chan?" He grinned.

Shizuo was tempted to hit him with the suitcase, but the genuineness of that grin made him reconsider. He wondered if it was real, or if it was just more acting.

"Yeah well," He shrugged and opened the car door, assuming that they were carrying everything inside. Dora was asleep in her car seat with head lobbing to the side, a line of drool dropping to her chin. He couldn't help but smile. The buckles came undone easy, and with some creative movements he was able to lift her out of the car with one arm. She stirred only slightly, burying her warm face into the crook of his neck.

Not waiting for Izaya, Shizuo turned and made his way to the ramshackle cabin. He still listened for the footsteps behind him, shoulders relaxing when he heard them crunch through the snow.

Izaya trotted up to him, carrying his small suitcase with the most displeased expression Shizuo had ever seen. "While I'm aware beggars can't be choosers, I wasn't aware we were going to get such a quaint little place. I did ask for remote and nondescript, I suppose."

Shizuo glanced over to watch him size up the building. "So, I'm going to go ahead and guess." He said. "You either blackmailed or paid someone to set this entire thing up."

Izaya simply shrugged.

"Hmph." He looked away and started climbing the rickety set of stairs, wincing as they gave out a loud creak of protest. The outside of the cabin reeked of old age. The dark wood was worn down and reminded him of an old man's skin, if that old man lived in the sun his whole life and became nothing but a living piece of jerky. In the dark, however, it was hard to get a clear picture.

With his luck, it was probably haunted.

Shizuo nudged the door open with his foot, receiving another agonizingly loud creak. The darkness inside was even eerier than the outside. It was like looking into a black hole. He suppressed a shudder.

Behind him, Izaya was stomping his feet against stairs, knocking snow off his shoes. He slid past Shizuo, walking into the darkness of the cabin. Shizuo stayed put in the doorway, arm unconsciously tightening around Dora. From somewhere in the dark, he heard a dull thunk.

"You going to just stand there and let my daughter catch her death?" Izaya asked from somewhere to the right of him.

Before he could respond, he heard a faint click. A single flame appeared, standing suspended in the darkness. The glow illuminated a few of the bruises on Izaya's face, distorting their color. It danced when the wind from outside tousled it, but then it lowered and began to multiply. Small flames broke out over the surface of a log, nestled safely in a stone fireplace, aided by scraps of newspaper.

The dancing fire filled the room with soft light and the scent of burning wood. The simple addition of light and warmth released a tension in Shizuo's shoulders that he hadn't noticed still clung to him.

Izaya crouched beside the growing fire, poking it with a fire poker. The light made shadows dance across his damaged complexion, darkening the areas under his eyes and making him look deathly tired.

"You stopped in the middle," Shizuo said, stepping into the room so he could close the door. It shut with a click behind him. He glanced down at Dora before lowering his voice. "I mean, you were telling me about the Talkers."

"Hm?" Izaya hummed, dark eyes sliding over to meet his. "Ah, I suppose you're right."

The firelight flickered across every surface, highlight the sparsely furnished room and the three doors leading out of it. The light barely reached the small table and kitchenette on the far side of the room, instead, it cast horrible shadows over them. The wood panels of the walls stretched high, escaping into darkness near the ceiling, another place the light just couldn't reach. Shizuo followed the flickering shadows with caution etched into his gaze as he bent down, setting down the suitcases with great care.

"I was explaining her, correct?" Izaya asked, stretching his legs out in front of the fire. The edge of his shirt rose up, flashing a horror of bruises and ivory skin. Shizuo looked away quickly and nodded. "Good. Because that is where I come into the story! There I was, taking a few shortcuts home, when I see this crusty looking man toss a little suitcase into a trashcan and run off. So my interest in piqued, of course. Who was this man? Had he murdered someone? Stolen something? The possibilities were endless! Can you see where I'm going with this? I found her there, in that suitcase. Dōri Nakahara, or as you know her, Doraemon Orihara."

 _At least you didn't kidnap her_ , Shizuo mused as he held the girl in his arms with the utmost care. It was a marvel to hold such a small person. He hadn't held a child since Kasuka was one himself. Had Izaya held a child before this? He was aware that the broker had two sisters, but he had never seemed the type to care about kids. "I'm sure you aren't quite the hero you are making yourself out to be."

The fire had begun to warm the cabin, but taking the side of caution, Shizuo moved to stand closer to the hearth. Dora was still sleeping soundly against his shoulder. Her dark hair fell in her face, sticking to the drool on her cheek and chin. He reached up to brush it aside with a thumb. He could feel Izaya watching them.

The sound of the fire crackling and soft breathing soon became the only sounds in the room. It appeared that Izaya was done with storytelling for the day. Whatever spell had allowed him that brief act of kindness had evaporated. The broker was still smiling when he moved away from the fire, and started walking towards the front door.

"Where are you going?"

Izaya paused, hand on the door knob, and shrugged his shoulders. "It's none of your business, Shizu-chan. But if you must know, I'm going to move the car." As he pulled the door open he waved a hand at the door closest to Shizuo, just to the right of the fireplace. "Make yourself useful and put her to bed. There should be blankets in the closet, and her pajamas are in one of the suitcases."

Izaya closed the door behind himself, and Shizuo closed his eyes, listening to the quiet tap of his footsteps on the porch.

He didn't move for several minutes and just savored the quiet warmth, letting his thoughts bunch together. The side of his head was beginning to pulse, a dull ache seeping out from his wound. He made a face, knowing he would have to search the bags and kitchen for medical supplies.

Dora stirred again in his arms and he couldn't help the slight upward twitch of his lips. Her eyes blinked open and peered up at him, slow and heavy. He awkwardly patted the side of her head and offered a smile. "Yeah. I'm tired too, kid."

She made a quiet noise and brought her small hand up to loosely grip at his shirt, allowing her eyes to close again. Shizuo made sure to give her several blankets when he tucked her into the small bed. Finding a chair, he pulled it over and settled down beside the sleeping girl. He stayed by her side for a long time, thinking about the course that his day had taken. Everything had changed overnight, and he was stuck sorting through the chaos that was this new life.

Sitting there, chair positioned in between the bed and the door, he slowly gave into the heaviness behind his eyes. With his last coherent thought, he wondered when the Flea would come back inside.


End file.
